the first and of Scotland the 37. in the Synod begun at London No person shall hereafter be received into the Ministry nor either by institution or collation admitted to any Ecclesiastical living or by the Arch-Bishop or Bishop of the Diocess except he shall first subscribe to these three Articles in such sort and manner as we have here appointed Article I. That the Kings Majestie under God is the only supream Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highness Dominions and Countries as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical things or causes as temporal and that noforrain Prince Person Prelat or Potentate have or ought to have any jurisdiction power superiority preheminence or authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within his Majesties said Realmes Dominions and Countries Article II. That the book of Common-prayer and of ordering of Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth nothing in it contrary to the word of God and that it may lawfully be used and that he himself will use the form in the said book prescribed in publick prayer and administration of the Sacraments and none other Article III. That he alloweth the book of Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-Bishops and Bishops of both Provinces and the whole Clergy in the convocation held at London in the year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred sixty and two and that he acknowledgeth all and every the Articles therein contained being in number nine an thirty besides the Ratification to be agreable to the word of God The form of words to avoid all ambiguities followeth viz. Setting down his Christian and Surname I N. N. do willingly and ex Animo subscribe to these three Articles above mentioned and to all things contained in them An Oath against Symony at institution into Benifices I N. N. do swear that I have made no symonical payment Can. 40. contract or promise directly or indirectly by my self or any other to my knowledge or with my consent to any person or persons whatsoever for concerning and obtaining this ecclefiastical dignity place preferment office or living respectively and particularly naming the same whereunto he is to be admitted instituted collated installed or confirmed nor will at any time hereafter perform or satisfie any such kind of payment contract or promise made by any other without my knowledg or consent So help me God through Iesus Christ And as the Clergy are obliged to subscribe ex Animo to the three Articles contained in the 37 canon so are they when they receive holy orders and are made Deacons or Priests at their ordination or when they receive institution to any Ecclesiastical Living or Promotion and Installation to any Dignity in the Church obliged to canonical obedience to their respective Diocesans and the Bishops likewise are at their consecrations obliged to promise Canonical obedience to their Metropolitans and the respective Arch-Bishops of either Provinces and Sees of Canterbury and York and the Arch-Bishops likewise promise and vow the dutyes of Faith and true Allegiance to the King when at their homage kneeling before the King they take an Oath of Fealty and Obedience to the King and his lawful heirs and successors These are most holy and sacred d d Iuramentum est confirmatio verbi dequo juratur Orig. bonds more fit for all the Sonnes of Aaron and the Tribe of Levy and These do breed keep and cherish Peace unity in the Church e e Quid est jurare per Deum nifi testis est Deus D. August de verbis Apostoli sermn 28. oblige the inferiour orders to their superiours in fine unite all ecclesiastick subjects in true Allegiance to their King And though the Anabaptists and some squemish Phanaticks cunningly instructed or factiously engaged are shy of such sacred oaths and obligations yet it is warranted from the holy Scripture Thus Abimelech and Phicol required an Oath from Abraham Gen. 21.23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsly with me nor with my Son nor with my Sonns Son Thus Moses directeth Israel f f Deut. 6.13.10.12.13.4 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and swear by his name Thus g g Ezra 10.5 Ezra arose and made the cheif Priests the Levites and all Israel to swear that they should do according to this word and they sware And if yet any deluded or factious Curiosity be not satisfied but will object evangelical strict Commands against lawful Oathes because Christ hath preached h h Matt. 5.34 1 Iam. 5.12 Swear not at all and St. Iames advised k k Hanc elimenta jurandi pessimam consuetudinem habere Iudaeinoscuntur D. Hiero. in 5. Mat. above all things my brethren swear not Yet these sacred Cautions and Commands were not to take away the lawful and holy but the unlawful and profane use and custome of Oathes Thus St. Hierom commenteth Our Saviour doth not utterly forbid an Oath sed per coelum terram jurare St. Augustine seems more full and plain saying that Counsel was given to prevent an idle and sinful habit of swearing which from a profane facility might quickly run into custome and so fall into perjury or that no persons should be affected with customary Oathes or swearing k k Dico vobis non jurare omnino ne scil jurando ad facilitatem jurandi Porventatur en facultate jurandi ad conseitudinem à consuetudine in Perjurium decidatur D. August de mendacio cap. 15. or greedily with delight and delectation to seek and hunt after Oathes which on good grounds may be lawful and for a good end and purpose to discern truth and to end all Controversies And thus St. Paul on several occasions hath presented himself an Apostolical exemplar to Gods Church And to all that hath been said it may be further added That it is a Theological determination of the Church of England l l Articles of Religion 39. Article to which every true sonne hath or ought to subscribe and submit That as vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Iesus Christ and Iames his Apoctle so we judge that Christian Religion doth not prohibit but that a man may swear when the Magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charity So it be done according to the Prophets teaching in Iustice Iudgement and Truth The Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy enjoined by order of Parliament The Oath of Allegiance I A. B. Do truly and sincerely acknowledge professe testifie and declare in my conscience before God and the world that our Soveraign Lord King Charles is lawful and rightful King of this Realm and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any power or authority to depose the King or to dispose any of his Majesties
Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorise any Foreign Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and obedience to his Majesty or to give license or leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successours or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successours or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their Obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successours and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise and will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known unto his Majesty his Heirs and Successours all Treasons and Trayterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them And I do further swear That I do from my heart abhor detest and abjure as impious and heretical this Damnable Doctrine and Position That princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and in conscience am resolved that neither the Pope nor any person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be lawfully administred unto me and do renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary And all these things I doe plainly and sincerely acknowledge swear according to these expresse words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sense and understanding of the same words without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever And I do make this Recognition and acknowledement heartily willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian So help me God c. The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. Do utterly testifie and declare in my conscience that the King 's Highnesse is the onely Supream Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highnesse's Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal And that no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preeminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm And therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Forraign Jurisdictions Powrs Superiorities and Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King's Highnesse his Heirs and lawfull Successours and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Priviledges Preeminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the Kings Highness his Heirs and successours or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm So help me God and by the contents of this book These Platforms and models of Oathes as they are of holy use to unite our fidedelity to God and Man so they are of Divine Authority and seem to be influential from Heaven from whence we have the Sacred example so the Scriptures testifie Exod 33.1 Depart hence unto the Land which I swear unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Thus divine usage is very frequent with God Deut 1.8.34.35 Psal 95.9 Luk. 1.73 Heb. 6.13 Heb. 7.21 And as God pleased to confirm his promise with an Oath So King David Gods annointed voweth and sweareth calling on God and praying Lord remember David and all his Afflictions how he swear unto the Lord and vowed to the mighty God of Jacob. Psal 132.1 2. And Solomon his royal Son gave Counsel to all his subjects and all the world I counsel thee to keep the Kings commandement and that in regard of the Oath of God Eccles 8.2 Having now set fourth the sacred ☜ Oaths and obligations of the Kings and Queens of England and of some of the cheif Officers and Ministers of State together with the Homage of the Ecclesiastical Hirarchy and temporal Nobility and of the three great Officers of Court the Lord high Steward the Master of the Horse and the Lord Chamberlain by their Oathes as privy counsellors under whose immediate command and power all servants at Court are sworn to fidelity and obedience in their respective relations and ranks of order degrees and subordinations It is plain and easie to every rational subject to discern and see the most excellent form of Government that the prudence and piety of former ages hath conveyed to the English to this present time and we cannot do less then admire and magnifie the gracious providence and riches of Gods favours to the Kingdome of England who hath with the golden chain of harmonious Government so lincked Kings and Queens to himself and all their subjects and people to their soveraign Princes that no Kingdome under the canopy of Heaven hath a better frame of Government either for Church or State or the transaction of Ecclesiastick or civil concernments and affaires in which there is such an incementing concatenation by wholesome laws and customes for justice and the happy preservation of all the peoples Rights that as the King may sit as happily and securely on his Throne as any Monarch on earth so his people may as prosperously thrive under his gracious Government and reposing themselves under their own vines and figtrees as cheerfully enjoy the inestimable blessings of their own just rights and labours Milk and Hony with the overflowing favours of Peace and Plenty How great a crime must it then be to wrest or break one of the invaluable lincks of this golden concatenation which Soveraign Princes graciously please to strengthen and consolidate if possible by their sacred Oathes to God which cannot but indear and more oblige ingenuous subjects to greater exactness of duty and fidelity considering that these pious proceeding are more acts of Grace and voluntary and Princely condescentions flowing from the fountaines of their own royal goodness being methods of high degrees of kindness and love where words or promises and those at their royal wills and pleasure are to be looked on not only as certainties and assurances but as deeds and compleat performances The civil Law expecteth as much from Noble men and Persons of Honour that there words be equally esteemed as their deeds m Promissa nobilinm pro factis habentur And Iser c. 1. Tantum fidei legalitatis presumitur in Nobilibus ut si quicquam promiserint id per equesit certum ac indubitatum ac si jam factum esset And Iser c 1.
of Horse and foot fortyfied Townes and Castles equipped ships and using the utmost of their endeavours hazarded their lives relations and fortunes and to render a full assurance of their loyalty to their Prince were not daunted with fire or sword nor discouraged with imprisonment banishment or any degree of the most tormenting crucruelties nay death in so just a cause leading and laying them in a bed of honour they feared neither the losse of limbs or lives in their service of their King and Country and when after many tedious years their forces subdued by excessive power or betrayed by cunning Treachery did fail the Kings party cherished loyalty in their hearts and though they were plundred unmercifully sequestred and decimated illegally and forced to slavish compositions and harased with cruel asperities and ignominies as bitter as death yet assoon as their Hair as Sampsons did begin to spring after so many sharp raisors and shavings and their strength began to come to them they were active in their designs and in their contrivances ever attempting some noble enterprise that might recover their King to his Throne and themselves to the liberty and priviledge of free born subjects some in their capacities attended his Majestie and the royal branches in their perigrination abroad others as laborious Bees toiled and worked if the day was fair and secure in their several stations or circuits of their interests in their own Countryes And upon occasion saluting or tasting the inclination of every flour they met with they make it their only business to convey the thyme and hony of true loyalty to the Royal Hive some are very active in their purses others turned the cock to the streams of other mens plenty others in their prayers some did use their most refined abilities to distract the Counsels of the many headed monster the long at last Rumping Parliament some noble spirits who dearly paid for their Testimony of Loyalty designed the death of the grand Imposture and Usurper Cromwel whose Son like an Ignis Fatuus quickly vanished some gave with daring ingenuity and occasion of great distraction in the Army and rais'd jealousies and distrust amongst the Officers and soldiers some for many years discreetly acted their parts and very prosperously amongst the Aldermen Common Councel and more Eminent stickling Citizens who being easily perswaded that Trade generally decayed that their ships were taken dayly by the men of war at sea and that a pinching Poverty was ready to seaze on them armed themselves privately and as some of the gallant Senators stoutly on several occasions told the Relicks of the long Parliament the Committy of Safety and Officers of the Army that The Treasure of the City was exhausted trade utterly lost and many thousand families impoverished So neither could nor would they advance any monies any further to maintain that disorderly and illegal rabble of Ianizaries and Soldiers who as they had a long time inter rupted the prosperity and commerce in the Citty and over the whole land So they now resolved to defend their Liberties Rights and Properties as carefully as their lives and being threatned with terrour and menaces of Plundering imprisonment and other hostile and horrid injuries by fire and sword they very gallantly replyed that they would unanimously stand on their guards to defend themselves maugre all opposition as they had prosperously in such cases of danger when they suspected a tumultuary rising of the rabble in the reigns of King Richard the third when he marched against Henry the seventh to the battaile at Bosworth-field as they had in King Henry the eights reign when he went to Bullen in France as they had equipaged themselves in Queen Elizabeths reign An. Dom. 1588. And according to several presidents of this kind for which services the City received solemn thanks from the Crown for their great care of themselves and the Royal City as it appears in their City records and transactions of their political affaires they then thus provoked thus disposed quickly resolved to hold fast their purses though they could neither their tongues nor their hands monyes the nerves of the monstruous body suddenly shrinking the Officers of the Army fell into distraction and the private souldiers wanting pay quickly began to raile and revile to kick and to cut and to scorne cashiere their Officers in a few dayes both became as odious as ridiculous to the generality of the people of the three Kingdomes who resolving to shake of their Iron yoke of vassalage comforted themselves in their hopefull possibilities And as lines running most naturally to the center began to fix their thoughts and hopes in their Soveraignes Restauration The hearts of men waxing warm with these desires and possibilities they began to talk freely and plainly that neither City nor Country could be happy until the King should be restored that the whole Land was in a sad confusion and horrid distress and the City and Common Councel discerning a happy conjunction of affection and assistance from all parts sent stout answers on several occasions to the tedious long Parliament to the Officers of the Army to Fleet wood and his Walling for dians at the Committee of safety that the City was for want of Trade and through the losse of many hundred ships so impoverished and reduced to such extremities that they neither could nor would advance any further summers of monyes These unexpecte Resolutions and assurances caused the Enemies of Monarchy First to shiver and splinter into distraction and then to fall into despaire and each Brother growing jealous of his Fellow Traitor guilt of horrid Crimes in securing their condition the better to avoide popular fury they think of addresses to the clemency of their Prince which in such high offences is ever the happiest refuge and Asylum whiles the simptomes of the new modeld Anarchy thus fully appeare And the frame of the monstrous and tottering Government was thus shaken many noble Hushaies and true Royallists The Duke of Albemarle the Earl of Bath took fast hold on these encouraging opportunities and most successfully proved most wise conducters of Affairs mightily tending to the Restauration of the King and with his Majesty The Lord Bishop of Hereford the recovery of our Religion liberties and laws which without his presence and protection seemed much like to a consumptive dying patient ready at the last gasp to give up the Ghost But whiles these unspotted Royallists for almost twenty years continuance in a confused Government and the outrages of a Civil war were constantly Active or Passive in their duty for the Crown Another party either conscious of their errour or convinced in their judgement or at least concerned in their respective interest shewed themselves like brothers of the half bloud to have a deep resentment of the great injuries perpetrated against an imperial Crown and to own their fellow subjects for Auxiliaries and Coadjutors in the publick concernment of their King and Country
SIR will you grant and keep and by your Oath confirm to the people of England the Laws and Customes to them granted by the Kings of England your lawful and religious predecessors and namely the Laws Customes Franchises granted to the Clergy by the glorious KING St. Edward your predecessour according to the Laws of God the true profession of the Gospel established in this Kingdome and agreeing to the prerogative of the Kings thereof and the ancient customes of this Realm The King Igrant and promise to keep them Lord Bishop Sir will you keep peace and Godly agreement entirely according to your power both to God the holy Church the Clergy and the people King I will keep it L. Bishop Sir will you to your power cause law and justice and discretion in mercy and truth to be executed in all your judgements King I will L. Bishop Sir will you grant to hold and keep the rightful Customes which the commonalty of this your Kingdome have will you defend and uphold them to the honour of God so much as in you lyeth King Igrant and promise so to do The Petition of the L. Bishops read by the L. Bishop of ROCHESTER O Lord our King we beseech you to grant and preserve unto us and the Churches committed to our charge all Canonical priviledges and due Law and Iustice and that you would protect and defend us as every good King in his Kingdome ought to be a Protector and defender of the Bishops and Churches under their Government The King answered With a willing and devout heart I promise and grant my pardon and that I will preserve and maintain to you and the Churches committed to your charge all Canonical priviledges and due law and justice and that I will be your Protector and Defendor to my power by the assistance of God as every good King in his Kingdome ought in right protect and defend the Bishops and Churches under their Government Then the King went to the Altar where laying his hand upon the Evangelists he took the Oath following The things which I have here before promised I shall perform keep so God me help and by the contents of this Book and so kissed the Book The Homage of the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury for himself and all the Bishops he kneeling down and all the Bishops behind him said I William Arch-Bishop of Canterbury shall be faithful true Faith Truth shall bear unto you our Soveraign Lord and your Heirs Kings of England and I shall do and truly acknowledge the service of the Lands which I claim to hold of you as in right of the Church So God me help Then he arose and kissed the Kings left cheek as did the rest of the Bishops The Homage of the Nobility I James Duke of York become your Leigeman of life and limb and of earthly worship and Faith and Truth I shall bear unto you to live and dye against all manner of folk So God me help The Oath of a Lord Chancelour YOu shall swear that well and truly you shall serve our Soveraign Lord the King and his people in the office of Chancelour and you shall do right to all manner of people poor and rich after the laws and usages of this Realm and truly you shall counsel the King and his Counsel you shall layne and keep and you shall not know nor suffer the hurt or disheriting of the King or that the rights of the Crown be deceased by any means as far forth as you may let it and if you may not let it you shall make it cleerly and expresly to be known unto the King with your true advice and councel and that you shall do and purchase the Kings profit in all that you reasonably may As God you help and by the contents of this book The Oath of a privy Counceller YOu shall swear to be a true and faithful servant unto the Kings Majestie as one of his privy counsel you shall not know or understand any manner of thing to be attempted done or spoken against his Majesties Person Honour Crown or Dignity Royal but you shall let and withstand the same to the utmost of your power and either cause it to be revealed to his Majestie himself or to such of his privie Councel as shall advertise his Highness of the same You shall in all things to be moved treated and debated in Councel faithfully and truly declare your mind and opinion according to your heart and conscience and shall keep secret all matters committed and revealed unto you or shall be treated off secretly in Counsel and if any of the same Treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Councellers you shall not reveale it unto him but shall keep the same until such time as by the consent of his Majesty or of the Councel publication shall be made thereof You shall to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance unto the Kings Majestie his Heirs and lawful successours and shall assist and defend all jurisdictions preheminences and authorities granted to his Majestie and annexed to his Crown against all forraign Princes Persons Prelates and Potentates by act of Parliament or otherwise And generally in all things you shall do as a faithful and true servant and Subject ought to do to his Majestie So help you God and by the holy contents of this book The Oath of a Secretary of State YOu shal swear to be a true faithfull Servant unto the Kings Majestie as one of the Principal Secretaries of State to his Majestie you shall not know or understand of any manner of thing to be attempted done or spoken against his Majesties person Honour Crown or Dignity-royal but you shall let and withstand the same to the uttermost of your power and either do or cause it to be revealed either to his Majestie himself or to his privie Counsel you shall keep secret all matters revealed and committed unto you or that shall be secretly treated in Counsel and if any of the said treaties or Counsels shall touch any of the Councellors you shall not reveal the same unto him but shall keep the same until such time as by the consent of his Majestie or the Connsel publication shall be made thereof you shall to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance to the Kings Majestie his heirs and lawful successours and shall assist and defende all jurisdictions preheminences and authorities granted to his Majestie and annexed to his Crown against all forraign Princes Persons Prelats or Potentates c. By act of Parliament or otherwise Generally in all things you shall do as a true and faithful servant and subject ought to do to his Majestie So help you God and by the holy contents of this book Subscription of such as are to be made Ministers according to the 37 canon and constitution Anno Dom. 1603. and in the reign of our Soveraign Lord Iames by the grace of God King of England Scotland France and Ireland